Quality monitoring service for distributed manufacturing systems

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel service approach to quality monitoring (QM) in a distributed manufacturing system by implementing a network of autonomous work systems (AWSs). A quality monitoring service (QMS) is provided via a web application that offers a data interface unique to each manufacturing system, representing a service beneficiary. The solution preserves the data-related autonomy of the service beneficiary, is scalable, can be distributed, expanded by additional services and can be relatively easily integrated into each manufacturing system. The solution is based on a QMS system architecture and QMS ontology that facilitates the integration of QMS with AWS. Through a use case, it is demonstrated how an older QM technique (control charts) can be offered as a service using state-of-the-art information-communication technologies. In this way, new benefits for the manufacturer as well as the customer can be obtained. From the manufacturer’s perspective, the solution improves the manufacturing system’s competitiveness by maintaining manufacturing process quality. Furthermore, there are also benefits for customers, which are realised mainly by enhancing customers’ confidence in the manufacturing process, thus adding new value to the product.

Keywords:

• quality monitoring
• distributed manufacturing
• service
• operations support
• control charts

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewer and the editor of the journal for their valuable suggestions.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partially supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia [grant number 3211-06-000521], [grant number 3211-08-000205].